A Certain Strength of Spirit
by alxxiis
Summary: This story will hold every drabble written about Althea and Vilkas. Each chapter is its own work, but keeping them in a single story is easier for myself and readers to keep track of new drabbles. These works do not fit in the main story, but it can be assumed that somewhere along the lines, they did take place in the same timeline (excluding any possible AUs I write).
1. It Was Just For One Night

A stone wall was the first thing to greet her as her eyes fluttered open. Her body ached, like she had gone through a vigorous training session the day before. Something heavy was resting on her waist; glancing over she found it to be Vilkas's arm. He was still sound asleep, snoring softly and looking far more peaceful than she had ever seen him. Not wanting to disturb him, or deal with the awkwardness that was sure to ensue, Althea gently slid out from underneath and stepped onto the cold stone floor.

 _Oh, gods._ The room was an absolute disaster; a chair was overturned, some of his books were on the floor, the trinkets on his dresser were knocked over, and his blankets were wadded in a ball in the corner as well as their clothing. Grabbing a shirt she'd hoped was hers, she threw it over her head and groaned when she discovered the collar was ripped. She didn't have time to worry about it now, if anyone saw her in Vilkas's room, neither of them would hear the end of it. _Why can't I find a damn pair of trousers?_ With an exasperated sigh, Althea resigned to rifling through Vilkas's dresser drawers and nabbing a pair of leather pants.

After hiking them up and tying the laces, she quickly moved to the door, pressing her ear against the wood and listening for any hint of the other Companions. Her nostrils flared as she took a few deep breaths, hoping to catch the scent if she missed the sound, but all she could smell was the aftermath of their night. With careful fingers, Althea slowly pushed the door open, peeking out into the hall and seeing no one. A sigh of relief escaped her lungs and she exited the room, gently closing the door behind her. _So far, so good._ Her footsteps were quiet as she entered the hall, but came to a halt when a chuckle reached her ears.

Aela stepped out of her room, hair still tied at the nape of her neck and nightclothes hugging her lithe form. She stared at Althea with a knowing and amused grin, her silver eyes beaming with humor. "Rough night?" she teased, noting the tear in Althea's shirt.

 _I hate living in the room across from this woman_. "It… I- I don't… " Althea stammered. She let out a defeated groan and muttered, "It was just for one night." Pushing past Aela, she opened her own bedroom door and without turning around, she said, "No one finds out about this, or my shirt's not going to be the only thing torn."


	2. The Better Replacement

Her boots echoed against the stone floor as she stormed toward Vilkas, her jaw clenched and eyes glassy with anger. Althea was fuming. He merely sneered when she was standing in front of him. "Enough of this bullshit!' she shouted, her voice quaking with the threat of her thu'um. "Ever since the day I got here, you've done nothing but treat me like some child and acting like I don't belong here!" Her eyes danced back and forth to each of his, waiting for a response, an answer, anything, but he remained silent. Letting out a cry of frustration, she grabbed his shoulders and threw him into the wall, holding him there. "Why? What is your fucking problem?

A soft grunt is the only response he offered as the wind was pushed from his lungs. Her silver eyes that matched his own bored into him; her gaze made him feel... small. He averted his eyes to the wall past Althea, turning the question over in his mind; she demanded his reason for their fighting, but she had her own that she hadn't shared. "You blame me for all this 'bullshit,' but what about you?!" he retorted, roughing pulling her hands from his tunic.

Her arms fell to her sides, but she remained standing mere inches from him, refusing to back down. "What are you talking about?" narrowing eyes accompanied her harsh tone.

"You're as much to blame as I am! I don't start every fight, I don't always throw the first insult, and you had an issue with me just as much as I did that day." With a harsh shove, Vilkas increased distance between them, but the tension remained just as thick, and their anger weighed heavily in the air. "You came in with this... air about you.

Althea snorted, "I 'came in with this air about me', and that gives you reason to treat me like shit?" Unconscious hints of her thu'um spread around her words; soft waves of sheer force rippled throughout the room. Glassy eyes stared daggers at Vilkas, who matched her glare but held traces of fear in his own.

Her Voice frightened him; the power she wielded was greatly influenced by her emotions, and with the wolf's blood that ran through her veins, her emotional fluxes were increased dramatically. Every one of the Companions knew this, and every one of them knew better than to royally piss of Althea, including Vilkas. However, his fear and better judgment never seemed to stop him from doing just that. She was nearing a dangerous level at the moment, though, and he couldn't push her further.

"No," he admitted after a long period of silence. "I... You don't deserve it simply for that."

"Then what?" Frustrated tears now pooled over and left a shiny trail down her cheek. "What do I deserve it for?"

"Vilkas remained silent and fixated on her gaze, pondering the question but not risking throwing it back at her as he had done previously. The day she walked in during his talk with Kodlak would forever be branded in his mind. he knew from the beginning there would be issues between himself and Althea; the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the attitude she shared, the temper he could sense... it was like peering in a looking glass. He saw himself in her and that terrified him; would she take his place by Kodlak's side? would Kodlak look at her as an offspring like he did Vilkas? would she take the respect he had worked so hard to earn? She had the ability to do all that, and more; she was the Dragonborn, after all.

With a resigned sigh, he muttered, "I thought you deserved it for trying to replace me."


End file.
